After four years playing for the Nittany Lions, Penn State offensive lineman Drew Shelton has turned his attention towards the NFL and declared for the 2026 Draft.

Before becoming a two-year full-time starter for the blue and white, Shelton was a four-star recruit coming out of Downingtown West High School and the No. 3 player in the state of Pennsylvania. Shelton committed as part of the class of 2022 and chose Penn State over schools like Florida and Florida State.

In his time as a Nittany Lion, Shelton started 34 games and made 48 appearances. He was selected as an All-Big Ten honourable mention by coaches and media for his performance during his junior year, where he started all 16 games for Penn State. In his senior year, Shelton started 12 games and was awarded a media selection for All-Big Ten honourable mention honors. He also allowed just one sack and zero quarterback hits in 359 pass blocking reps during the 2025 season, according to PFF.

Shelton received an invite to the 2026 NFL Combine, where he measured in at 6’5″ and 313 pounds. As a former basketball player in high school, Shelton’s athleticism had a chance to shine in front of NFL scouts, with him jumping a 9’4″ broad jump and 31.0″ vertical jump, which ranked 8th and 20th, respectively, among other offensive linemen.

Shelton is the 16th-ranked offensive tackle and the 138th overall-ranked player on the consensus big board. He’s projected to go anywhere from the third to the fifth round during the draft. His athleticism and sustained production could help him go in the latter parts of the second day, but he’s likely to be an early pick during day three of the draft.

While the production was there at the collegiate level, Shelton will probably need to put on size and strength to make an impact in the NFL, with most scouts seeing him as a backup without development.

“He’s likely to struggle with consistency unless he gets stronger and plays with better body control,” NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein said of Shelton.

Shelton has drawn some interest from teams in the pre-draft process, having met with the Philadelphia Eagles for a Top 30 visit.

Shelton and other Nittany Lion prospects will look to hear their names called when the NFL Draft comes to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, later this month. It starts on Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. and runs through Saturday, April 25. All seven rounds will be streamed on NFL Plus and broadcast on ESPN.